Analysing Competence: Gender and Identity at Work

Rees, Bronwen A.; Garnsey, Elizabeth

doi:10.1111/1468-0432.00211

Cited by 50 publications

(73 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…Particularly for men, being made redundant can represent a serious blow to self image, self esteem and self efficacy. This corresponds with the idea that the social creation and validation of male identity is often closely related to qualities such as success and self-reliance in the workplace (Rees and Garnsey 2003;McCarthy and Holliday 2004). Being made redundant can also strike at the core of an individual's sense of identity.…”

Section: Not Bouncing Backmentioning

confidence: 53%

“Your Job No Longer Exists!”: From Experiences of Alienation to Expectations of Resilience—A Phenomenological Study

Vickers

Parris

2007

Employ Respons Rights J

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We have entered the age of the contingent or temporary worker, the consultant and the subcontractor. Workers are expected to be pliable and tractable; to "fit in." Being made redundant is also an area where modern workers are expected to be flexible and resilient. However, when these so-called "flexible" workers are told their job no longer exists, the accompanying sense of rejection and alienation can be excruciating. Stories of being made redundant were collected during an exploratory, qualitative study, using Heideggerian phenomenology as the methodological vehicle to capture the lived experiences of those affected. Focused, in-depth interviews were conducted with the ten respondents; nine men and one woman. The stories shared suggest that being made redundant is an alienating experience with respondents sharing feelings of powerlessness, shock, betrayal, shame and social isolation. Unfortunately, those having experienced redundancy were also not as resilient as is routinely assumed. They did not "bounce back" unchanged, but reported significant negative outcomes including fear for the future, underemployment, family disruptions and an erosion of trust. Recommendations are made orienting organisations towards a more human process of redundancy.

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Section: Not Bouncing Backmentioning

confidence: 53%

“Your Job No Longer Exists!”: From Experiences of Alienation to Expectations of Resilience—A Phenomenological Study

Vickers

Parris

2007

Employ Respons Rights J

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“…The literature also highlights that recruitment and selection processes may not be transparent. Both may be likened to an invisible web that works against women (Green & Cassell, 1996;Lan & Wang Leung, 2001;Rees & Garnsey, 2003). Further, the literature raises questions around whether women are in a position to gain broad experience of hotel departments which allow them to be considered for future higher positions (Woods & Viehland, 2000).…”

Section: Women Managers In Hotelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A woman's place in hotel management: upstairs or downstairs?

Mooney

Ryan

2009

Gender in Mgmt: Int J

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Purpose: This paper asks whether it is the notion of choice (a pro life work/life balance decision) that influences woman's desire to strive for promotion within a hotel organisation or is the choice made for female managers by a system of organisational processes. Findings:The interviews revealed that the perception of glass ceiling barriers faced by women differed depending on where they were in their career cycle. They were revealed as the 'long hours' culture, the Old Boy's network, hiring practices and geographical mobility.These significantly influenced women's work-life balance, and personal life choices. Originality/value:The hospitality industry faces a worldwide shortage of skilled staff. This paper seeks to answer why the hotel sector is struggling to retain talented female employees who wish to take advantage of the managerial career paths offered. Research limitations/implications:Interviews were carried out in three locations across a variety of job positions; therefore this study has a reasonable degree of validity. Findings could be applied to other large hotel enterprises in Australia and New Zealand. Practical implications:The findings from this study offer implications for management practice.

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“…While voluntary redundancy has also been widely used in Australia as a downsizing strategy, with employees being offered a financial incentive to encourage them to 'volunteer' for redundancy (Clarke 2005), all respondents in this study had their redundancies presented to them without choice. With masculinity being 'forged' in the workplace (Yeo 2004, p. 129), and the male identity continually constructed and evaluated according to success at work (Rees and Garnsey 2003), we were concerned for those men who were involuntarily made redundant from their place of work.…”

Section: Employment and Masculinitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“Look at Him ... He’s Failing”: Male Executives’ Experiences of Redundancy

Parris

Vickers

2010

Employ Respons Rights J

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Participation and success in paid work is a key element of identity for many men. The increased prevalence of downsizing and the associated discarding of individuals from their workplaces, then, has particular relevance for men. This paper shares qualitative findings from an exploratory phenomenological study investigating the experiences of Australian executives who had been made redundant. Three themes related to male identity are presented here: Failing as the breadwinner; Being less of a person; and, Losing success. The participants in this study shared feelings of anger, sadness, fear and embarrassment as a result of the assault to their identity that accompanied their involuntary redundancies. The impacts of redundancy were not only felt in relation to their job loss, but continued after returning to work. At a time when downsizing continues to feature as a routine part of organisational life-for some, an experience repeated throughout their careers-further exploration of the experience of redundancy and its implications is required.

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Analysing Competence: Gender and Identity at Work

Cited by 50 publications

References 50 publications

“Your Job No Longer Exists!”: From Experiences of Alienation to Expectations of Resilience—A Phenomenological Study

“Your Job No Longer Exists!”: From Experiences of Alienation to Expectations of Resilience—A Phenomenological Study

A woman's place in hotel management: upstairs or downstairs?

“Look at Him ... He’s Failing”: Male Executives’ Experiences of Redundancy

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